Foulonia Ordovician Trilobite

Description: This is a most dramatic example of the cheirurid trilobite Foulonia. The brick-red color is natural, and contrasts well with the matrix, making for a dramatic display. Material from the Fezouata Formation often displays this reddish color as a result of oxidation of pyrite post-deposition. It is also found in many Chengjiang fossils for the same reason. The fact that it is confined to the spines may be due to the thinness of those features making for a good host for the anoxic bacteria that led to pyritization. The trilobite is quite 3-D in aspect, most unusual for material from the Fezouata, making for a fine large display specimen.